Bob Katter's been talking about it for years, but the likelihood of Qld splitting is slim. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

While state elections crack open the daylight saving debate, federal polls tend to spark conversation about the creation of Australia's newest state - by dividing its most decentralised one into two, usually led by a north Queensland MP, prepared to "stick it" to those latte-sipping city dwellers who don't understand or appreciate the north.

Bob Katter has been a long time proponent. Clive Palmer, who has the maverick MP act down, if not the locality, has also expressed his support in the past.

With a federal election due by October and the Queensland Parliament deadlocked at 42 seats for the major parties, with four North Queensland cross benchers holding the balance of power, talk is once against brewing to see the sunshine state cut down to size.

Lecturer in Politics and Journalism at Griffith University Paul Williams said theoretically, it could work. "Politically and institutionally, quite easily," he said.

Advertisement

"Sections 121 and 124 of the Constitution allow it, and we might say new states are just a function of a changing and more complicated federal arrangement - like a family adding more kids as the family unit grows up.

"Economically, it could also work, although the challenges would be great in the post-mining boom period."

But given the divide in the state's population - with the majority of Queenslanders living in the south-east, Dr Williams said while it could work, it was unlikely to.

"Given there are, I believe, not quite a million people north of the Tropic of Capricorn, the movement would need supporters in south-east Queensland too," he said.

"There are supporters in south-east Queensland, but probably not enough - any referendum would almost certainly fail. For many, the idea is just too radical.

"It's this radicalism that makes it sit more comfortably with, as you say, the political mavericks.

"While Katter's Australian Party earns political capital from the debate, clearly leaders like [Lawrence] Springborg and [Annastacia] Palaszczuk would not."

Frank Beveridge, the president of the North Queensland Local Government Association, which six years ago voted overwhelmingly to investigate the issue, said there had been no recent discussions on the issue.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, like her predecessors, has dismissed any talk of dividing the state, instead talking of uniting it. And maybe adding some bits from down south.

Much of the frustration from the north has stemmed from a historic political spending neglect, despite the billions the north's mining, farming and environmental industries add to the state's bottom line.

Most of that has been down to the population spread, with government's building infrastructure where the majority of people are.

But for the first time in recent memory, the north holds the political balance, with both Katter's MPs using it to their advantage to get attention for their electorates, while Cairns MP Rob Pyne quit the Labor party to focus on North Queensland issues, moving to the cross bench where his former north Queensland party colleague, Billy Gordon, already sits.

In the meantime, the Katters have won support for their longed for ethanol bill, maintained a regulated sugar industry and have the government speeding up capital works programs and holding special Cabinet committee meetings outside of George Street.

While daylight saving and secession are sure to come round the debate merry-go-round again, Queensland's North Queensland MPs are making hay - and the government jump - while the sun shines on a hung parliament, and doing it without the great Rockhampton divide